


Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey

by TheDoctorAndRiversArmyOfPeppers



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-07 03:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12832734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDoctorAndRiversArmyOfPeppers/pseuds/TheDoctorAndRiversArmyOfPeppers
Summary: A collection of one shots I wrote because Steven Moffat is leaving and I'm going to miss him.





	1. One Last Day With Your Beloved

**Author's Note:**

> For Steven Moffat.
> 
> You're my favourite writer and I don't want you to go.
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: Any quote in any chapter of this fic belongs to Steven Moffat and the BBC.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paring: Twelve/River
> 
> Characters: Twelfth Doctor, River Song
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 252

The Doctor couldn't take his eyes off her. Her beauty surpassed that of the view, and the singing, and the Universe. The woman before him was the most stunning thing his old eyes have ever seen, never more so than now.

The sun was setting, dipping below the horizon until the world was shrouded in darkness for what should have been an eternity. Evening would be with them for a while, at least.

He took her hand gently, leading her to the table. A candle lit dinner awaited them, and twenty-four years of apologies and making better his mistakes. Better start now, with the most important mistake he had to fix.

"River, I _do_ love you."

 

 

The sun shone, lighting up the damned planet like a bright and angry demon. The Doctor cursed its existence.

Her effortless beauty remained, glowing in the rays of dawn like she was born for it. He drunk in her body as if it were nectar. His last chance, barring the miracle that his plan to save her would bring. Once he'd thought of it.

One day, he hoped, the Universe would be kind, and she would be with him until time crashed and burnt. A spectacle they would be honored to witness, and lucky to share with one another.

Her eyes never left his, and he felt himself drown in their enticing, green depths. He didn't want her to go. Ever.

So he held her until she was no longer there to hold.

_I love you._


	2. Which Day Would You Chose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Eleven/River, Abigail/Kazran
> 
> Characters: Eleventh Doctor, Kazran Sardick, Abigail Pettigrew
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 350

The Doctor listened as Kazran Sardick told him about Abigail's illness, the reason why he was reluctant to let her out of the ice. The Doctor was cross with himself for not realising when Abigail told him she had a multitude of doctors. It should've been obvious. Some genius he was.

As an unhappy Kazran finally allowed Abigail to leave the ice, he fixed the Doctor with a glare and asked him a question.

"Think about it, Doctor," he growled. "One last day with your beloved. Which day would you  
chose?"

 

_'The last time I saw you, the real you. The future you, I mean! You turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit. You took me to Darillium, to see the singing towers. Oh, what a night that was. The towers sang, but you cried. You wouldn't tell me why. I guess you knew it was time, my time, time to come to the Library. You even gave me your screwdriver. That should've been a clue... There's nothing you can do.'_

 

The Doctor looked passed Kazran and into thin air. River's voice rang easily in his head, as if those words were said by her only yesterday. He didn't know her very well yet, but that memory still brought a horrid pang to his hearts.

The Doctor already loved her, he always had. Just as he'd always known he'd love her so much more in the future. And that scared him.

Knowing how it was going to end was one of the worst feelings. It hurt him that he was just beginning to know and love her, but she was already gone. She was already a ghost.

He didn't want to chose a last day with her, and as it turned out, he wouldn't have to. He already knew it would be Darillium.

The exact day, however, wasn't clear until Abigail emerged from her ice cabinet and answered Kazran's question for him.

"Christmas day," she said sadly, hand reaching for her love's face.

_'Yes,'_ the Doctor thought. _'And I'd better make it a good one.'_


	3. Once in a Moonlit Graveyard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paring: Amy/Rory
> 
> Characters: River Song, Amy Pond, Rory Williams
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 279

The graveyard was alive with movement. The silver men emerged from their resting places, six feet below the surface of the Earth. They were confused, disorientated and looking for people they knew and trusted - people who could help them.

River Song ignored all of them, swinging her torch left and right as she navigated her way through the New York graveyard. She knew the place like the back of her hand, so it wasn't long before she found what she was looking for. Or should that be whom.

There, in the dark, were standing two Cybermen. The grave at their feet was that of Amy and Rory Pond.

River approached them, hearts hammering in her chest.

"Mum? Dad?" she called, cursing the unshed tears in her voice.

Cyber-Amy and Cyber-Rory turned to find where River's voice had come from. They saw her. Rivers breath caught. She knew seeing her parents like this would be emotional, but she didn't think it would be as bad as this. Tears began to trickle down her face as she took a few steps forwards. And her Cyber-parents walked towards her.

One of the Cybermen pulled her into it's arms, hugging her tight to it's chest. River wrapped her arms around it and smiled through her tears. The other Cyber-parent came up behind River and she felt it's front press into her back as it hugged her from behind.

It was strangely comforting to be hugged by ones dead parents. Even when they were in metal suits.

And all the memories resurfaced and the tears started cascading down River's face. And her parents just stood there, holding her until it was time to go.


	4. Nardole and the Mission to The Library

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paring: Twelve/River
> 
> Characters: Nardole, Twelfth Doctor
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 340

She'd asked him to look after her husband. He was going to do his best.

But first, Nardole had a little job to do.

The Library was heaving. There were hundreds of people scrambling to get in line for the teleports. The crowd was just a confusing mass of stuck-out limbs and flying elbows. Nardole had a job navigating it.

But once he was free of the throng of people, he found the right place quickly enough.

On the railing, only a few feet ahead of him, was Professor River Song's diary. 

Nardole rushed forwards, grabbing the diary from the railing in his chubby fingers. The tips of his digits traced over the cover, tears forming in his eyes.

He had strong, fond memories of his boss with that book. She was seldom seen without it, it was almost a part of her. And as he grew to know the Doctor, Nardole began to understand why.

That was her diary, and the Doctor was her life. The two seeming intimately connected, inseparable even, was logical.

The Doctor deserved to have that book now.

Nardole missed her very much. She'd saved him from his old life of being involved in a galaxy-spanning black market. She'd given him a better life, and a bit more confidence, too. Now his life was full of adventure and excitement, and he was grateful.

If only she was still around. It could've been the three of them. Him, the Doctor, and River Song, adventuring together. She'd been there for him for so long, he could hardly believe she'd gone.

River had left a gaping hole in his life he hoped the Doctor would be able to fill.

 

 

The Vault, with prisoner, had only just been secured in the TARDIS, when Nardole pressed River's diary into the Doctor's sweaty palms.

The grieving widowers hands traced over the time-worn cover, leaning back against the console with a dead-ahead stare. Nardole took that as his cue to leave.

Once he was alone, the tearful Doctor turned to page one.


	5. The Ming Vase and the Escape Vehicle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Eleven/River, Amy/Rory
> 
> Characters: River Song
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 537
> 
> Someone on Twitter asked Steven Moffat how River got to Amy and Rory's wedding in 2010. He replied with: "She somersaulted through a stained glass window right onto a Space Steam Train and hijacked a camel. Probably."
> 
> Well... I liked it so I wrote it. ;)

River ran through the museum as fast as she could with 'her' ming vase tucked safely under her arm. The sirens were sounding, and she could hear the distant sound of boots stomping on marble. She had to be quick.

She somersaulted through the stain glass window, shattering the ancient beauty that it had once been without a care. She landed perfectly on the roof of a space steam train as it wooshed past. It was all just as she planned.

River had to time her next jump exactly right. If she jumped too soon the security guards might catch her before she got to her escape vehicle, but if she left it too late, then train would take off with her still on it. She would be launched into space.

She leapt off the other side of the roof with all the grace she was capable off, landing in a muddy heap on the grass. She checked the vase, finding it still beautifully intact, and let out a breath of relief. And she'd managed to land only a few feet from the camel she'd left as her getaway vehicle, which was good news.

River grinned at her luck as she climbed onto the creature's back. She slashed it's tether with the knife she kept in her boot and then they were off.

They raced away into the sunset, with the vase safely stowed away in River's satchel.

She had to get to the ship and she didn't have much time left to do it in.

 

 

River walked passed the window, looking in on her parents wedding reception. She'd made it just in time - to her relief - and had left her diary for her mother to find.

She smiled, when she saw her mother looking back at her, trying not to feel hurt by the confusion and lack of recognition in the ginger's eyes. There was no reason Amy should know her. As far as she was concerned, nothing they did had ever happened. They'd never met.

River felt a pang of regret for not going to the wedding when she was Mels. But then, she didn't know what that would've done to her relationship with the Doctor. If she killed him this early, he might not have known the right thing to say to save him. No, scratch that. He definitely wouldn't, he wouldn't have even known it has her. And that would've been it. But then none of that would've happened anyway. Because then she wouldn't have been conceived on the TARDIS, or kidnapped by Kovarian, thus unwriting all the above mentioned events. She decided to stop worrying about it.

Her parents couldn't keep the diary, so, despite it helping to bring back the Doctor, it made a rather rubbish wedding present. Hence the ming vase.

She'd tied a beautiful, blue and silver ribbon around it's neck and placed it on the table with the other gifts. She'd handed the diary in separately, it needed to get to her mother right away.

Then, after the Doctor had come back from nowhere, River wandered off. Waiting for her future husband to bring her things back to her.

And also, there was a camel that needed returning.


	6. Chips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters: Bill Potts, Twelfth Doctor
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 193

It was lunchtime, and Bill was working in the busy canteen.

She looked up from the counter as the latest in a long line of customers approached her. It was the Doctor, holding out a plate expectantly.

"What are you doing here? You don't come here," Bill grinned, surprised and happy to see him.

"I'm hungry. Or, you know, I could just make myself something like I usually do. If I'm too embarrassing for you," he replied sarcastically with a grin.

"Don't be daft!" Bill shoveled an extra large portion of chips onto his plate.

The Doctor gave her a sweet, pleading look, and Bill deflated with a heavy sigh. She scooped up a few more chips and slid them onto the plate with the others. He smiled ecstatically.

"They'll make you fat," she deadpanned.

"Nah," he shook his head, then popped a chip into his mouth. "Hhmmm. They're good, these."

"Thanks," Bill grinned again, proud of herself.

"I should come here more often. Where's the salt?"

"By the till."

"Ahh," the Doctor started walking away to pay. "And don't forget you're handing in your essay today!"

"I won't!" she called after him.


	7. One Thing You Must Never Do if You're a Time Traveller

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paring: Clara/Ashildr
> 
> Characters: Clara Oswald, Ashildr, River Song
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 892

Two women watched from behind a wall as the coffin was lowered into the ground.

It was a beautiful day, for so late in autumn. There were few clouds in the sky, and the birds were chirping away cheerfully. It didn't quite match the occasion.

Clara felt an odd feeling in her stomach, and gripped the brickwork tighter. That was her in that coffin, and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about that. But she was sure that her heart would've been pounding in her ears, if it wasn't for...

Ashildr nudged Clara out of her thoughts. It wouldn't do for them to be spotted now, and they would be if they weren't careful.

Clara was surprised at the turnout, though. There was quite a crowd. Among her family, friends, and colleagues, Clara had spotted Vastra, Jenny and Strax. She was confused as to how the three of them had got to the twenty-first century. Then, when River came into view, it all became clear. Rigsy was standing next to the professor, keeping as much distance between him and a younger Ashildr as possible. Clara was pleased to discover he'd brought Sophie and Lucy with him. Kate and both Osgoods had also made it. Clara was touched.

But there was no Doctor to be seen.

Clara was sadder than she expected to be about that. She'd been sure he wouldn't be there. He'd forgotten her, after all, so that was just a ridiculous feeling to have. Perhaps a part of her still hoped he'd remember.

"Are you alright?" Ashildr was concerned by the discontented look on Clara's face.

"Fine, yeah. It's nothing," the woman replied, swallowing her disappointment.

Ashildr didn't believe her, but let it drop.

Clara wanted to go to her friends and family, and hug them. It was a real wrench, that she couldn't do anything. It broke her heart. She'd underestimated how hard this would be for her, seeing them all so devastated.

Clara returned her attention to her anachronistic friends in an attempt to not start crying. She noticed that River was watching them. The archaeologist quickly turned her head back to the vicar, but Clara knew that wouldn't be the end of it. She was going to get a right bollocking for transgressing the laws of time like this.

"Oh, we've been spotted," Clara told her companion.

"I knew it was dangerous!" Ashildr said accusingly. "It's bad enough that there's two of _me_ here!"

"I'm trying really hard not to make another joke," she grinned.

"Shut up," Ashildr glared. "And shouldn't we be going. Before your father finds out..."

"Five more minutes."

"If someone's seen us..." the immortal Viking complained.

"Oh, River won't tell anyone," Clara assured her.

"I hope you're right."

Clara turned back to the funeral goers, to discover the group of people was dispersing. The service must've ended, so she lowered herself back down to the ground. Ashildr gave Clara a pleased smile, but the taller woman just ignored her.

"You two shouldn't be here," came a firm voice from behind them.

"River," Clara beamed, turning to face her friend. "What are you doing here?"

"It's your funeral, what do you think?" River replied with fond sarcasm. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know," Clara answered. "Just to see who came, I suppose. And who didn't."

River nodded in understanding.

"Loads of people, as it happens," the Professor smiled. "Have you been to Coal Hill School? There are lots of flowers."

"No," Clara said, obviously touched. "I'll go tonight, don't want anyone recognising me."

"Good idea," River nodded again. "A better idea than coming here. It's nice to see you, though."

Clara smiled one of her perfect smiles which made Ashildr blush. River pretended not to notice.

"You too, Professor," Clara replied.

"Clara, we have to go," Ashildr warned again.

Clara sighed, turning to her more-than-friend.

"Yeah, okay, fine! If it'll shut you up."

Ashildr pulled a face.

"She's right, though," River tilted her head menacingly. "This is the most stupid thing you could've done. The fabric of time is weak enough around here, the last thing it needed was you crossing your timeline like this. It'll start tearing soon."

"Will it?" Ashildr looked concerned. "Clara, you never mentioned that."

"I didn't know," she answered.

"The Doctor's got it sorted, don't worry," the archaeologist assured them.

Clara still didn't look too happy about it, but left it there.

Ashildr looked around the wall and noticed other people were heading for the gate they were chatting next to. So, before the ex-teacher could get another word out, the smaller woman dragged her away forcefully.

"Oh, See you soon," Clara promised over her shoulder, and River grinned in reply.

"Don't move the Diner. I'll bring the Lizard, the Victorian, and the hoplophiliac Potato in for a lemonade!" she called back.

Clara gave her a thumbs up as the shorter woman pulled her around the corner.

River watched them go before leaving to find Vastra, Jenny and Strax. She didn't want anything happening to them, the vicar and some of the guests had been offering them some really odd looks. She had to get them away.

But as she went, she thought on how lucky the Doctor was to have found a friend like Clara. And how unfortunate it was that he forgot.


	8. A Nuclear Submarine, Seven More Husbands and a Stolen Camel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paring: Doctor/River
> 
> Characters: River Song
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> Words: 748
> 
> Inspired by a certain answer to a certain question on Moffat's page in DWM.

The shots fired from behind her, pinging off the engine components, as she ran from the sailors.

River fiddled with the buttons on her vortex manipulator, hurrying to escape her pursuers. It wouldn't be long before either the thing worked, or she was shot. She knew which outcome she'd prefer.

The Navy's reaction to her presence on their nuclear submarine was a bit over the top in River's opinion. She didn't even have a reason for being there, other than the fact that that was where the escape coordinates had taken her. She'd only wanted to get away from that Medieval execution block. It was hardly _her_ fault the Queen of France thought she'd stolen her diamonds.

Finally, having completed another set of escape coordinates, she could press the button on her vortex manipulator and get away.

She disappeared in a haze of blue lightning, just as a well-timed bullet was about to tunnel through the back of her head.

 

 

River found herself in the middle of a slightly phosphorescent desert. Thankfully it was night time, so she could tell where she was from the stars.

The planet Erbia, in the Earth year 1700-and-something.

She licked her finger and held it in the air to check.

"1842," she laughed. "I think I need some practice."

That's when she heard them.

The Erbian outlaws came sliding down the sand dunes all around her. She fumbled for her vortex manipulator again, but the outlaws advanced technology emitted a jamming signal, rendering her device useless.

River sighed and let herself be captured. There were too many of them to fight.

She was drugged by a cloth to the mouth, and forced onto the back of a creature that had a startling resemblance to a camel. As unconsciousness overcame her, she felt her rough journey into the night begin.

 

 

River ran into her tent, looking desperately for her gun belt and her own clothes to change back into.

She'd woken up in the main tent, wearing an Erbian wedding dress. Which, in her case, was just a tatty piece of decorated cloth wrapped around her and tied with a sash.

They'd forced her to marry seven of the Erbian men under threat of death. Women were scarce on Erbia, so they were seen as a valuable commodity that unfortunately had to be shared.

River had played along, all too aware of the laser pistol that was being pressed into the small of her back. She'd given them a false name, of course. She didn't want any of it to be real.

But now she was away from the Erbians, she had a chance to escape.

Once dressed and ready, River looked out through the flap at the other end of her tent. Not too far away, she spotted a couple of the camel creatures, like the one the Erbians had used to bring her to their settlement. She grinned, darted out of the tent and untied the tether of one of the animals. She struggled gracefully onto it's back and rode out into the desert.

One of the outlaws noticed. With a huge amount of rage for such a small man, he ran through the settlement, shouting that she was getting away.

None of the men were all that pleased with her. They began chasing her across the desert at speed, red faced, beating their poor camels so hard the marks would be there for weeks.

They shouted at her to come back, but River ignored them. They tried to shoot the animal she was riding, only to find they couldn't hope to hit it at that distance. The bullets burying themselves into the sand startled the creature River had taken, making it want run even faster. The outlaws weren't going to get her back that easily.

Luckily, it didn't take much longer for her to get out of range of the jamming signal, and she managed to get away once more.

Her camel was left alone, without a rider, wondering what the hell just happened.

 

 

River wound up on a beach, this time. The entire landscape was deserted, and the evening sun reflected beautifully on the crystal clear water. She flopped onto the sand in the shade of a palm tree, thankful for the chance to rest.

River checked her pocket for the Queen of France's diamonds, a sigh of relief escaping her when she found them. It had all been worth it then. She'd completed her challenge.

She'd done it!


	9. A Tale of Two Masters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters: Missy, the Master (Simm), Twelfth Doctor
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 604

_'I'm going to be dead in a few hours. So before I go lets have this out, just you and me, once and for all. Winning? Is that what you think this is about? I'm not trying to win! I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, or because I hate someone, or because I want to blame someone. It's not because its fun. God knows it's not because it's easy, and it's not even because it works because it hardly ever does. I do what I do because it's right! Because it's decent. And above all, it's kind. It's just that... Just kind. If I run away today, good people will die. But if I stand and fight, some of them might live. Maybe not many. Maybe not for long. Hay, you know, maybe there's no point in any of this at all. But it's the best I can do, so I'm gonna do it. And I'm going to stand here doing it 'til it kills me. You are going to die too. Some day. How will that be, have you thought about it? What would you die for? Who I am is where I stand, and where I stand... is where I fall.'_

 

 

Missy stood in silence, letting the Doctor's words go 'round in her head. Tears formed at the edges of her eyes and she couldn't remember being so affected by something in her life before.

She had been spending the best part of the last century trying to learn how to be good, and even she didn't know if she meant it or not. The Doctor had obviously rubbed off on her anyway, but maybe not as much as he'd have liked.

Because he'd hate the plan she'd come up with.

The Doctor looked her in the eyes and asked her to stand with him, begged her.

_'Yes, Doctor, of course I will.'_

"I'm sorry, but no. Just no," it was a lie.

Missy grabbed his hand in hers, letting him feel the knife in her bracelet, not telling him what she was going to do with it. Assuming he wouldn't work it out would be an insult to his intelligence.

She didn't promise him she'd be back.

 

 

Missy laughed.

She could hear her other self laughing too.

"You see, Missy," he said. "This is where we've always been going. This is our perfect ending. We shoot ourselves in the back!"

She could've done with a bit less pain though. Perhaps he felt the same.

And to think that, just a few faces back, the Doctor thought the one thing (s)he could never do was kill him/herself. How wrong was he? That only made it better.

The laughing stopped, and she lost the strength to keep her head up. It dropped down into the leaves and long grass. She heard the lift doors shut and the whirring as her other self began his decent to floor 1056. Her head felt fuzzy.

And as Missy drifted off into unconsciousness, she grew worried about her oldest and dearest friend. He said he was going to die that day. He would never die easily, but she couldn't see a way around it.

There's always a way out until there isn't.

He might never know now that she was going to stand with him. Yes, she'd shown him the knife, but he might've found that to be a warning to not follow her. Maybe she should've been clearer.

But now he'll never know. And once she'd recovered from definitely-not-dying, she certainly wasn't going to tell him.

Who'd believe her, anyway?


	10. Once in a Sunlit (but Cloudy) Graveyard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters: Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, the Brigadier
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 431

Kate was falling.

That mad, Scottish woman had blown the doors on the plane, and Kate had been thrown to the mercies of gravity. She was going surely to her death. 

She felt the cold wind bite through her clothing, and a weightlessness that made her spine feel weird. She didn't want to die, but somehow didn't panic. Dying like this was not meant to be peaceful.

Kate was worried about her children. She'd talked to them about the possibility of her not coming home, just as her father had done with her. She didn't think they'd understood how likely it was to happen, again, like her with her father. But that was understandable. Someone who'd been there your whole life couldn't just go, could they? Well, they were about to discover the truth of her words. And that was the worst thing.

Kate hoped they'd have good lives. She hoped they didn't follow her into the army. Science was all well and good, but mixing in the guns and great heights just wasn't very safe. She'd hate to think of this happening to her children. Father was right to warn her off. She should've listened.

She was still thinking of her children when she felt something strong and metal encircle her waist. She looked down to find she was now being hugged from behind by a Cyberman. It was falling down with her, pulling her to it's chest. Not only that, but it seemed to be slowing her descent.

Kate twisted her head to see the metal man's face. And, somehow, when she saw him, it dawned on her who the Cyberman was. A tear escaped her eye.

He moved one of his hands to her head, fingers crackling with electricity.

Kate blacked out.

 

 

The Brigadier emerged from the thick clouds of Cyber-pollen and headed for the ground. He landed carefully, gently placing his precious daughter on the damp grass.

His mind wandered to when she was young, when he and her mother were still together. He missed Kate, and her stepmother, Doris. It was good to see one of his girls again. His hand reached out for her, fingers caressing her thin cheek softly.

Then he heard a voice. A young woman. The Brigadier straightened up and peered over one of the larger gravestones.

The woman was threatening another Cyberman, mentioning the Doctor's name. The Brig knew he had to keep an eye on her.

With one last look at his daughter, the Brigadier disappeared off to find cover elsewhere, and to wait to see his dear friend again.


	11. A Picnic in Manhattan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Eleven/River, Amy/Rory
> 
> Characters: Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond, Rory Williams
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 507

The Doctor helped Amy and Rory set out the picnic. It was a warm, busy day in Manhattan, and the three of them decided they could do with a little holiday. Well, Amy had insisted, and the two boys thought it would be better for their health if they agreed.

The sun was beating down on them as they ate and talked. Even the Doctor, surprisingly, considered the day to be un-boring. But, when the conversation fell into a comfortable silence, he pulled out a book and started to read.

Amy and Rory exchanged glances. Then Amy shrugged and searched for her newspaper. Rory rolled his eyes and Amy glared at him for it. The Doctor gifted him with the briefest look of congratulations for his bravery, before turning back to his book.

"I have ice in my heart, a kiss on my lips, and a vulnerable side I keep well hidden," he said.

"What?!" Amy asked in surprise.

"Reading!"

"Oh."

It was strange, how the Doctor had found the book. He'd discovered it in his jacket pocket earlier that morning, after River left following her 'visit'. The cover of the book intrigued him, too. It was a sexy painting of a woman who looked identical to his wife. And _he_ had painted it. The Doctor would recognize his own work anywhere, and this was definitely one of his. Only, he hadn't painted it yet.

He loved the book already. It was so flirty. He could read it so easily in River's voice that he knew it could only have been written by her. It gave him a warm, tingly feeling, like getting a love letter written on scented notepaper. A smile tugged at his lips as he gently caressed the page. His hearts fluttered.

"Have you been listening to a single word I've said?" Amy demanded to know, shoving at his shoulder.

The Doctor was brought back from his mental meanderings, and stared at his mother-in-law as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Yes, Pond!" he replied. "I always listen when you talk!"

"I don't know how you have the nerve," she shook her head.

"What?"

"Can you repeat anything I've just been saying to you?"

"Erm..." the Doctor went white and scratched his chin.

Amy chuckled and the Doctor pouted sulkily.

"Get back to your reading, raggidy man! Oooh, and does River know you fancy the woman in the book? Maybe I should tell her..."

"No!" the Doctor belted, hand protecting the book as he edged away from Amy quickly. "She gets jealous! And anyway, I don't fancy Melody Malone, who said I fancy her!? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not the fancying type, as you well know, Pond."

Amy gave him a pitying-but-amused look and got back to reading her newspaper. Rory shook his head, trying to stifle a huge grin and failing.

The Doctor returned to his place, leaning against Amy's back, and found where he'd got to on the page.

_'I don't just fancy her,'_ he mentally added. _'I love her.'_


	12. I Hoped There'd be Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paring: Twelve/River
> 
> Characters: Twelfth Doctor, River Song (Data Ghost)
> 
> Rating: G
> 
> Words: 366

The explosion was beautiful. The fire twisted and convulsed in the air above him, the last thing he'd ever see.

The pain was terrible. There was a burning ache between his hearts where the Cyberman had shot him, and he could feel the cuts and bruises all over from being blown up. He was sure a few of his bones were broken by the blast, but didn't care enough to find out which ones.

The Doctor felt regeneration energy tingling at his skin, but suppressed it. He never wanted to change again. He was done with his life. He'd lost everything he'd ever valued, and was glad it was finally over.

"Pity," he grumbled painfully. "There's no stars. I hoped there'd be stars."

He felt himself begin to go, his eyes shutting, blocking out the view of the still bright explosion. But before the end, he noticed a hand slip into his.

He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the mass of colours above him. His vision cleared to reveal the most beautiful woman in creation gazing back at him. Her face, hair and white dress were lit up by the flames, giving her the appearance of an innocent angel descending into Hell.

The Doctor tried to croak out her name, but all he managed were a few strangled noises.

The data ghost of River Song put her finger to his lips to shush him. Her finger lingered there, as tears began to fall from her eyes.

River moved her hands slowly to either side of his head, caressing his face lovingly as they went. The corners of his mouth twitched into a contented smile.

Suddenly, his mind was filled with beautiful, beautiful stars, as she telepathically sent him her memories of the sky above Calderon Beta from their honeymoon. He drank in the sight, the stars sending him to his eternal sleep. Tears leaked from his sore, shut eyes, thankful for this last, wonderful gift.

River laid down beside him, nuzzling her face into his neck. The Doctor was glad of her company, as he took what he thought were his last breaths.

She held him as he finally drifted off into unconsciousness.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! :)


End file.
